Automatic control for radio instruments



Get. 31, 1933. E. A. LEFEBRE 1,932,668

' AUTOMATiC CONTROL FOR RADIO INSTRUMENTS Filed Sept. 18, 1929 INVENTOR [cl/ham! A. L afezwa ATTORN EY Patented Oct. 31, 1933 PATENT! OFFICE AUTOMATI C CONTROL FOR RADIO INSTRUMENTS Edward A. Lefebre, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application September 18, 1929 Serial No. 393,424

' 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a new automatic control for radio instruments, and it is the principal object of my invention to provide means for automatically operating the tuning dial of a radio 5 instrument to turn in any desired number of of to its inner periphery. These holes are adapted to each receive a novel'solenoid plug atany point on the dial, said solenoid plug being equipped with pins for locking it in its adjusted position by a bayonet joint action. Furthermore, the arc has its inner periphery formed with 2 bevels on each point to act as a ratchet that will prevent backward rotating of tuning dial.

- 2nd. I provide a new and novel form of solenoid which is portable and has pins secured on a metal collar for securing the solenoid in po- 5 sition at any point'on the arc selector dial. This solenoid has a spring controlled plunger or core having a length equal to the width of the selector arc so that when the solenoid is locked into position at stations desired, said plunger or core is flush with the inner periphery of selector are when it is in its normal position and no current is flowing into it. This solenoid plug is connected in series with a motor through a circuit breaker on the rotary tuning dial and in series with an electric circuit closing. clock through multiple jack boards. closes the circuit, the motor starts revolving the tuning dial and at the same time the plunger or core of the solenoid is thrust downwards and through the innerperiphery of the arc and acts as a stop for the tuning dial.

3rd. I provide an arm secured to the shaft of the tuning dial at zero position, this arm'carries at its end a spring controlled ratchet pin' which prevents thedial from rotating counter clockwise, it also carries an insulated circuit breaker and two insulated commutator brushes which carry current through the circuit breaker from the stationary insulated commutator rings which are mounted close to the tuning dial on the shaft thereof. v I

4th. I provide a small universal-motor connected by a worm gear connection with the tuning dial for slow speed driving, and the motor is connected in series with the electric clockand Whenthe clock 15 and pins'16 secured on a metal cover 16' for the solenoid plugs through the multiple jack boards.

5th. I provide an'electric clock with a commutator ring at the inner circle of time dial formed with commutator contact segments .spaced at the quarter hour points, each segment to be mechanically and electrically connected to metallic plugging in sockets at 48 points around the outer edge of clock for receiving the portable plugs for making single or multiple connections between jack boards and clock.

6th. I also provide a low voltage cut out solenoid so that when the circuit breaker plug is insertedthe clock current is shut off at a predetermined time.

7th. I provide a number of small commercial jack boards, one for each solenoid jack, plug, one wire from each solenoid connector to each jack board and from each jack board, a multiple of plugs can be inserted to clock, so as to get any certain station-or stations as many times as desired, and at t e desired.

8th. I provid a plurality of short flexible single conductor cords with a single contact plug at each end for making any number of contacts between jack board and clock for a series contact between clock and board or a multiple series contact when a station is to be repeated any number of times on a days program.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will become more fully known as the description thereof proceeds, and will then be specifically defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing forming a material part of this disclosure:

I Fig. 1 shows'a diagrammatic plan view of my apparatus with 5 stations cut in for an evenings performance. I I

Fig. 2 is a sectional detail view of a solenoid plug.

As illustrated, a stationary are 10 arranged at any suitable place on a radio instrument preferably in back of the rotating tuning dial 11 thereof, has the same number of graduations or points as the tuning-dial. At each of these points, this "are has holes 12. drilled from the outer periphery to its inner periphery, adapted to receive a novel portable solenoidplug 13 at any point on the dial. g The portable solenoid 13 of thecustomaryconstruction has a sliding core or plunger 14, of the same length as the width of the selector are 10, normally flush with the inner periphery of the selector arc and controlled by a spring locking the plunger into position by a bayonet joint action.

The stationary are 10 has its inner periphery formed with bevels at each point to act as a ratchet, generally designated 17 which will prevent the rotating tuning dial 11 from turning backward or counter clockwise as will hereafter be more fully described.

An arm 18 is secured to the shaft of the tun ing dial at zero position and carries at its end a spring controlled ratchet pin 19 preventing the dial 11 from rotating counter clockwise when engaging ratchet 17.

This arm carries also an insulated circuit breaker 20, and two insulated commutator brushes 21, 22 to carry current through circuit breaker from the stationary insulated commutator rings 23, 24, mounted on the shaft of the tuning dial in close proximity thereto.

A small universal motor, generally indicated at 25 operates a spur gear comiection 26 with the tuning dial for slow speed driving and is connected in series with an electric clock 27 and the solenoid plugs 13 through a multiple jack board, generally designated 28,

The electric clock 27 is equipped with a commutator ring 29 at the inner circle of its dial and presenting commutator contact segments 30 spaced at the quarter hour points. Each of these segments is mechanically and electrically connected to metallic plugging-in plugs 31, at 48 points around the outer edge of the clock for receiving portable plugs 32 for making single \or multiple connections between jack board 33 pr clock 27. The numeral 33 indicates a plug section that is to be connected to a standard commercial solenoid cut out which will cut off service supply to the radio instrument thereby shutting down the radio set at a predetermined time. I

The jack board 28 is composed of a number of small commercial jack boards numbered on the drawing from 1 to 5, one for each solenoid Jack plug 34 connected with one wire 3501 the respective solenoid.

A multiple of plugs 36 can be inserted into the Jack boards connected by short flexible single conductor cords 3'? to plugs 32 in the clock so as to get any certain station or stations as many "oclock with a selected program over station W.E.A.F. the plug 31 is inserted into clock socket and its cord 37 has its end plug 36 connected to section 5 of jack board 28 which in turn is connected by plug 34 and solenoid wire 35 with solenoid 5.

It now the hand 38 of the clock arrives at contact 6, it will close a circuit over plug 31, cord 37, plug 36, section 5 of jack board 28, plug 34, solenoid wire 35, solenoid 5, wire 36, wire 39, to commutator ring 23, brush 2i, circuit breaker arm 20, brush 22 and rlng ill-l to wire do, to mo tor conductively connected by wire d1 with. the ,clock, and by the intermediary oi the spur gear connection 26 motor will slowly rotate turning dial 11, and the circuit breaker arm 20 con nected to the shaft thereof. Upon energiuation o! solenoid 5, the plunger 14 thereof will be proiected below. the inner periphery of the selector are and thus come into the path of the arm 20, the pin 19 of which will engage said plunger and thereby break the circuit as indicated, in dotted lines in Figure 1, and the motor will stop, while the solenoid coreby means of spring 15 is drawn into the solenoid body. The station W.E.A.F. has been tuned in in the usual well known manner in radio instruments, and its program will now be heard, until the clock hand again closes a circuit to operate the motor, for repeating the above cycle of operations.

As shown in Figure 1, station W.E.A.F. is arranged to be heard from 6 to 6:30 oclock, whereafter another stations program is to be heard 4 from 6:30 to 7 oclock, at which time a third station will be automatically tuned in. At 8 oclock station W.E.A.F. will again be heard, at 8:30 another station, at 9 o'clock station W.E.AF. will again be heard, and so forth.

It will be clear that the tuning dial turns in clock-wise direction only, and that a turning oi the same counter clockwise is effectively prevented by the engagement of the spring controlled pin 19 engaging the ratchet teeth 17.

At 12 oclock the supply of current to the radio instrument will be automatically shut oil by a well known commercial solenoid cut oil. From the foregoing description and simultaneous inspection of the drawing, it "will be clear that I have provided a comparatively simple and inexpensive means for automatically operating the tuning dial or a radio instrument to tune in any desired number of stations at the time wanted and allowing a repeated hearing of the same stations program at predetermined times and as often as desired.

It will be understood that I have described. and shown the preferred form of my device as one example only of the many possible ways to proctically construct the same, and that I may make such changes in the general arrangement thereof, and in the construction of its minor details as come within the scope of the appended claims without departure from the spiritof my inven' tion andthe principles involved.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Pat cut is:

1. An automatic control for radio instruments including a tuning dial, comprising a stationary 125 graduated selector are, having radial passages, and graduations to match the graduations of the tuning dial, solenoid plugs in some of said pas sages, a clock controlled motor for rotating said tuning dial, a series circuit through clock, motor and solenoid plugs, said clock closing said motor and solenoid circuit, at certain time periods, connections between said clock and solenoid plugs, said solenoids constituting a means for tuning in certain stations, and a means for interrupting the series circuit aiter'a station has been tuned in at the proper time indicated by the tuning dial.

2. An automatic control for radio instruments including its graduated rotating tuning dial, 1 prising a stationary graduated selector are ing radial passages extending from its outer riphery to its inner periphery and gradual, match the graduations of the tuning noid. plugs in said radial. passages, o clock o contact ring therein, a mote ingsaid tuning dial, a series circuit throu h tact ring, motor and solenoid plugs, a cloc en contactor to close the motor circuit up gaging the contacts on said ring, at certain determined time intervals, said solenoids constituting a means for tuning in certain stations, a

spring controlled plunger in each solenoid adapted to extend beyond the inner periphery oi! said are upon energization of the solenoid when the motor circuit is closed, means for connecting said clock driven contactor with said solenoid in series, and series multiple, and a means carried 4. An automatic control for radio-instruments including a graduated tuning dial, comprising a clock controlled motor for rotating said dial at a certain predetermined time, a graduated selector are having radial perforations, portable plugshaped solenoids in some of said perforations for tuning in certain stations to be heard at said time, a clock driven contactor, a series circuit through motor, clock driven contactor and solenoid, said clock being adapted to close said circuit at a certain predetermined time, a plunger on said solenoid adapted to project from said are upon energization of said solenoid upon the closing of the circuit by said clock and a means combined with said dial to stop the rotation of same upon engaging said solenoid plug, and open the circuit.

EDWARD A. LEFEBRE. 

